Transmission of video signals

ABSTRACT

An apparatus, method, and system are described for transmitting a television program signal. A portion of a local frequency spectrum may be determined to be free, or relatively unused. A user selection of a television program or broadcast programming channel may be received from a program lineup in an electronic programming guide. The selected program may be selected from a gateway, translated, and transmitted over the portion of the frequency spectrum determined to be free. The translation may include converting a signal from the gateway into a National Television Systems Committee (NTSC) signal or a mobile TV signal.

This application is a continuation of and claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/892,708, filed May 13, 2013, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/904,380, filed Oct.14, 2010, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,468,568, the contents of each ofwhich are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

FIELD OF ART

The features described herein generally relate to providing users withaccess to content over a network. More specifically, aspects of thedisclosure describe wireless transmission of video content.

BACKGROUND

Since its introduction, viewing video content on a television (TV) hasbecome an integral part of our lives, and advances in electronicstechnology have further cemented this relationship. The availability ofadvanced devices and programming options, such as digital transmission,interactive set-top boxes (STBs) or gateways, and on-demand content, hasgiven viewers more options now than ever before. Digital video recorders(DVRs) allow users to store content for later viewing, which furtherincreases viewer demand for content. Portable media devices, such ascell phones, mobile TVs, personal data assistants (PDAs), and laptopcomputers, have allowed viewers to view content at a variety oflocations using a variety of network connections.

Growing variety of product and service offerings has led to a growingdemand being placed on the infrastructure that supports such services,and there will always be a demand for more features, greaterconvenience, and simpler ease of use. Viewers continue to seek a betterviewing and interactive experience.

SUMMARY

This summary is not intended to identify critical or essential featuresof the disclosure provided herein, but instead merely summarizes certainfeatures and variations thereof.

A gateway device in a viewer's home may receive digital video content(which can include video, audio, and other data), such as an InternetProtocol (IP) TV content stream, and may give the viewer the option ofhaving that content retransmitted wirelessly for reception on anotherdevice within the home, such as another television, computer, mobiledevice, etc. The local retransmission may use a whitespace transmitterto identify and use wireless channels (e.g., UHF or VHF channels) forthe wireless retransmission, and may also involve recoding and/orconverting the program from an original format or modulation to adifferent format or modulation suitable for a destination device.

In some embodiments, local unused whitespace channels can be correlatedto specific devices (e.g., televisions) within the home, and thosechannels can be used in a dedicated manner to deliver video content tothose devices, allowing the devices to receive targeted video. Thechannels may be use in conjunction with a wireless remote control (e.g.,an RF remote), allowing users of legacy televisions to enjoy aninteractive viewing experience on an analog television, by having thetelevision receive video signals wirelessly using its legacy wirelesscomponents, and providing user commands through the RF remote.

In some embodiments, the user may be given the option of choosing thewireless channel, or the target television, for a program selected froman onscreen electronic program guide (EPG). The option may includelisting assigned channels with user-assigned names, and allowing theuser to indicate which channels should be used to transmit the selectedprogram.

Other details and features will also be described in the sections thatfollow.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some features herein are illustrated by way of example, and not by wayof limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in whichlike reference numerals refer to similar elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example information distribution network, such asa video content distribution network.

FIG. 2 illustrates an example network in one of the premises illustratedin the FIG. 1 network.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example process by which content can betransmitted.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example display screen.

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate examples of electronic programming guide (EPG)displays.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example computing device, such as a transportgateway.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an example information distribution network 100 onwhich many of the various features described herein may be implemented.Network 100 may be any type of information distribution network and mayuse any medium, such as satellite, optical fiber, telephone, cellular,wireless, etc. One example may be an optical fiber (e.g., fiber to thehome), satellite (e.g., direct or digital broadcast), or a hybridfiber/coax (HFC) distribution network found in many data and videocontent access/distribution networks. Such networks 100 may use a seriesof interconnected communication lines 101 (e.g., coaxial cables, opticalfiber, etc.) to connect multiple premises 102 (e.g., homes, businesses,etc.) to a content provider's facility, such as a central office orheadend 103. The central office 103 may transmit downstream informationsignals onto the lines 101, and each premises 102 may have a device suchas a tuner used to receive and process those signals.

For example, there may be one line 101 originating from the centraloffice 103, and it may be split a number of times to distribute signalsto various premises 102 in the vicinity (which may be many miles) of, orbeing served by, the central office 103. The lines 101 may includecomponents not illustrated, such as splitters, filters, amplifiers, etc.to help convey the signal clearly. As discussed above, portions of thelines 101 may also be implemented with fiber-optic cable, resulting in ahybrid fiber/cable network of lines 101. By running fiber optic cable,signal degradation in those portions may be significantly minimized,allowing a single central office 103 to reach even farther with itsnetwork of lines 101 than before.

FIG. 2 illustrates a closer view of one of the premises (e.g., homes)102 from FIG. 1. As illustrated, the premises may be connected to thenetwork 101 by, for example, a communication link, such as an opticalfiber, wireless, or coaxial cable 201. The link may be connected (e.g.,directly or indirectly, wired or wireless, etc.) to a gateway device202, which may serve as an interface between devices within the premises102, and the external devices out on the network 101. The gateway 202may include tuners, modulators, demodulators, etc. to communicate out onthe network 101, and may also include interface components tocommunicate with the devices in the premises. Examples of the gateway202 are discussed further below with respect to FIG. 6.

As for the network 203 in the premises, the specific types of componentsand communication media may vary, depending, for example, on the type ofcommunication network used in the premises. One example may be anInternet Protocol network 203 carried over the premises' internalcoaxial wiring under the MoCA (Multimedia Over Coax Alliance) standard.To this end, the gateway 202 may be an IP transport gateway, using IPcommunications to communicate with the devices in the premises, and withdevices outside the premises (e.g., in an HFC network, via a DOCSISCMTS). Other networks, such as optical fiber or wireless networks orportions of networks, may alternatively, or in combination, be used.

Various devices may communicate on a network 203 in the premises. Forexample, one or more personal computers 204 may use the gateway 202 tocommunicate with other devices on the Internet or an intranet (oranother local network). Video and data content receivers 205 such astelevision set-top boxes (STB), digital video recorders (DVR), orintegrated display devices 206 may receive distribution (e.g., IPdistribution) of video content received at the gateway 202, and mayconvert that video content into a format suitable for display oncorresponding video display devices, such as televisions or smartphones206. For example, the devices 205 may receive an MPEG2 stream of video,and may process that stream to generate an HDMI (High DefinitionMultimedia Interface) output signal to each corresponding television206. The receiver 205 may, of course, be a transceiver to allow andsupport interactive two-way communications.

Some televisions in the premises or home, however, might not have theirown receiver 205. Or they might not have the circuitry needed to decode,for example, the MPEG2 stream of video received at the gateway 202. Forexample, televisions 207 a and 207 b might be legacy devices, such asold-fashioned analog televisions, having tuners configured to tune tothe analog broadcast channels defined by the NTSC (National TelevisionSystem Committee). Or they may be digital televisions not equipped toreceive and decode the latest form of digital compression or modulationused or available on the network 101. To support such legacy devices,the gateway 202 may include a local wireless transmitter 208 (which maybe a transceiver, with reception and transmission circuitry, andadditional whitespace circuitry to identify unused channels in thetransmitter's vicinity).

The local wireless transmitter 208 may be configured to transmit, e.g.,broadcast, a low-power radio frequency channel carrying selected videoand/or data content for local reception within the home. For example, ifthe television 207 a is an analog television, the gateway 202 may usethe transmitter 208 to transmit a selected program as an NTSC videosignal on an NTSC Channel (e.g., channel 2). That channel and signal canbe tuned by the television 207 a, and displayed for the user'sconsumption. In this manner, legacy devices may continue to be used evenif transmission techniques advance.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example process by which a network in a premisemay be used. In step 301, a device such as the gateway 202 may firstdetermine what frequencies are available for use in and around the home.Different geographic areas may encounter different amounts ofinterference on different frequencies, so the step 301 determination mayrepeat, or change techniques, to find the frequencies that arerelatively clear. This determination may be made in a variety of ways.One way may involve the transmitter 208 automatically scanning foravailable frequencies, or “whitespace” frequencies. The transmitter 208may be a whitespace transmitter, and may sequentially step through apredefined list of possible frequencies (e.g., the various NTSC VHF/UHFchannels, channels 2, 3, 4, etc.), listening to each to determine whichfrequencies have existing transmissions (e.g., signals above a minimumthreshold of signal strength) and are in use in and around the home(e.g., in the vicinity of the home), and which frequencies are not inuse (e.g., whitespace frequencies).

Another way this may be accomplished may involve configuration viacomputer 204. For example, a centralized database may be stored (e.g.,at an external server on the Internet or a local network server)containing listings of geographic areas (e.g., ZIP codes) and frequencyand/or channel usages for those areas (e.g., an NTSC or FCC listing ofwhich areas have transmitters, and the frequencies and strengths oftheir transmissions). The user may inform the gateway 202 of itsgeographic area, and the gateway 202 may then consult such a database todetermine which frequency or frequencies is/are clear enough for use inthe home based on its location.

When the gateway 202 determines which frequencies are clear for use, thesystem can then proceed to step 302, and inform the user of thefrequencies or channels that can be used to receive video from thegateway 202. This can be accomplished, for example, by displaying alisting on a computer 204, displaying it via other STBs, sending it to ahandheld device or remote control (if the remote has a display andtwo-way communication ability). In some embodiments, this can beaccomplished during initial setup of the gateway 202. FIG. 4 illustratesan example of such a display screen, and that will be discussed in moredetail below.

In step 303, the user may then view and select from that list, and causeone or all of the legacy devices to tune to the selected channel toreceive video from the gateway 202 (for example, via transmitter 208).For example, if NTSC channel 2 is available, then the user (or a devicesuch as the gateway 202 or transceiver 208) can tune both legacytelevisions 207 a,b to NTSC channel 2, and can inform the gateway 202 ofthe match between that channel and those televisions. The gateway 202may then use transmitter 208 to transmit legacy (e.g., NTSC) signals onNTSC channel 2, for reception by the legacy televisions 207 a,b. Thesesignals can carry any video, audio, or data content that is available tothe gateway 202, and can also include video displays generated by thegateway 202, such as EPGs (electronic program guides) that a user canuse to view and select available programming.

The televisions 207 a,b may then be tuned, and the gateway 202 may beconfigured to maintain such a configuration, and the gateway 202 mayalso enable the televisions 207 a,b to display content, such asaudiovideo programs, EPG screens and other information, to users. Thegateway 202 may receive user input from a wireless remote control, whichmay be a radio frequency remote that does not require a line-of-sight tothe gateway 202. For example, a handheld remote may communicate throughradio frequency transmission (e.g., in the UHF frequency range of 300MHz-3 GHz, or VHF range of 30 MHz-300 MHz) to the transceiver 208. Inthis manner, the gateway 202 can cause EPG displays to appear on thelegacy televisions 207 a,b, and the user can interact with them byentering commands on a wireless remote control that can communicate backto the gateway 202. FIGS. 5A-C illustrate an example sequence of EPGscreens, and those will be discussed in greater detail further below.

In step 304, the gateway 202 may receive a user selection of content tobe delivered to a television or other display device. The selection maybe made, for example, by the user choosing video content, e.g. a programfrom an EPG listing of available television shows, as illustrated inFIGS. 5A-C.

In step 305, the gateway 202 may receive a user selection of the targetdestination for the requested content. For example, the user may choosea particular program to be delivered to the bedroom television, or thatit be aired on local channel 2 assigned to the bedroom television. Then,in step 306, the gateway 202 may request and/or obtain the content fromthe network 101, and may process the content to be in a format suitablefor delivery to the target destination. This processing may be madebased on the characteristics of the target device. For example, thegateway 202 may be preconfigured with parameters regarding the targetdevice's characteristics (e.g., screen size, resolution, audiocapabilities, etc.), and may process the incoming content to provide anoutput that matches the capabilities. The gateway 202 may also generatethe appropriate modulation from transmitter 208 for reception by thetarget device, and then transmit that content in step 307. The receivingtarget device, which may be a legacy television, may then receive andtune/demodulate that signal for presentation to the user.

By the above process, legacy televisions 207 a,b may still be used toreceive content, even if the content is initially received at the homein a modulation or format that is incompatible with the television'soriginal capabilities. The illustrated example is just an example, andthe various steps and components described herein can be rearranged,combined, divided, omitted and/or modified as desired.

As noted above, FIG. 4 illustrates an example display screen listing theavailable unused channels at the home. FIG. 4 depicts a display, forexample, displayed on a screen of computer 204 that may be used topresent the frequency bands determined to be free by white spacesearching device, e.g., transceiver 208, as described above. In FIG. 4,three (3) bands are shown as free as presented in free band menu display401, corresponding to frequency ranges: (1) 54 MHz-60 MHz, (2) 60 MHz-66MHz, and (3) 66 MHz-72 MHz. The free bands displayed in conjunction withfree band menu display 401 may be assigned free space channel numbersfor ease of reference to the user (e.g., free space channels 02, 03 and04, as shown in display 402 in the FIG. 4 example), and/or textual names(e.g., “Kitchen”, “Family Room,” (not shown) etc.).

This display may be used during the initial configuration of aparticular display device or the gateway 202, when other aspects may beconfigured as well. For example, the user may provide data via thecomputer 204 to indicate the capabilities of the legacy televisions 207a,b. For example, the user could enter a model number of the television,and the gateway 202 may access an Internet database to retrieveinformation identifying the decoding, tuning, display, audio, etc.capabilities of that model of television. During the configuration, theuser may also assign specific channels to specific televisions. So, forexample, television 207 a may be assigned channel 7, while television207 b may be assigned channel 9. The gateway 202 may then transmitdifferent video signals on different channels, to direct different videocontent to different legacy televisions within the home.

FIGS. 5A-C illustrate how a user can select a program, for example, inconjunction with the method of FIG. 3. In FIG. 5A, an EPG screen 500 maybe displayed on any display device, such as any of the televisions inthe home, on a computer 204, on a display of the gateway 202, etc. TheEPG 500 may include a grid 501 that provides a correlation betweenbroadcast program channels (e.g., FOX 5, ABC 6, and NBC 7), programs(e.g., Dick Tracy, Sponge Bob, Barney, Oprah, Wheel of Fortune, andForrest Gump), and previously scheduled transmission times (e.g., 2:00PM, 2:30 PM, and 3:00 PM). Other content, such as on-demand orinteractive content, may also be presented. The information presented ingrid 501 may be scrolled (either automatically, or responsive to a usernavigation command entered via a wireless remote control, for example)in order to advance the information displayed in EPG 500, and acorresponding update to the programs included in grid 501 may be made inresponse thereto.

The EPG screen 500 may include a descriptive material block 502.Descriptive material block 502 may be used to describe one or moreprograms included in EPG 500. For example, a user may navigate EPG 500(and more specifically, a cursor in the grid 501) using a wirelessremote control, for example. If the user places a cursor or otherwisesettles on a program (e.g., Oprah, as denoted by the broken box aroundOprah in grid 501), descriptive material block 502 may be updated tocontain a description regarding the selected program. The descriptionprovided may include the genre the program belongs to (e.g., Talk Show),a parental rating associated with the program (e.g., PG—parentalguidance suggested), and a brief description of the subject matter ofthe selected program.

The EPG screen 500 may include a trailer block 503. Trailer block 503may be used to portray preview or sample images or audiovisual footagefrom a program highlighted in grid 501. Similar to descriptive materialblock 502, trailer block 503 may be updated responsive to a usernavigating to a program in grid 501. Thus, continuing the above example,once a user settles on Oprah in grid 501, trailer block 503 may beupdated to show a short scene or clip from the taped episode of Oprahthat is being broadcast from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM.

The EPG 500 may include other elements, such as an advertisement block504. Advertisement block 504, the content of which may be generatedlocally by, e.g., gateway 202 or transceiver 208, or remotely by theprovider, may be used to display or play one or more advertisements ofone or more (commercial) sponsors. For example, as shown in FIG. 5A, anadvertisement related to buying more vitamins may be presented ordisplayed in advertisement block 504. Alternative advertisements may beused, and the advertisements may be cycled as a function of time, inresponse to programs the user settles on while navigating grid 501, etc.

Turning to FIG. 5B, the user may choose to view the ‘Oprah’ program by,for example, navigating to it and pressing a “select” button on awireless remote control. This may correspond to step 304 describedabove. In response to the selection, and as discussed above regardingstep 305, the user may be prompted to identify a target device on which‘Oprah’ should be displayed. This prompt, which can be a panel 505 ofthe EPG screen, can list available devices (e.g., the “Bedroom,” “FamilyRoom” and “Kitchen” devices listed in the panel 505) and/or free spacechannels (channels 2, 3 and 4 in the panel 505 example). The targetdevice can be, for example, a legacy bedroom television, and the gatewaycan generate a local transmission or broadcast to transmit the ‘Oprah’program content on the free space channel 2 associated with the bedroomtelevision, and the user can tune that television to channel 2 to watchthe program (as explained below). In some embodiments, the user canidentify multiple free space channels and/or devices that are to receivethe content, and the gateway 202 can cause the requested content to belocally broadcast (e.g., transmitted using transceiver 208) on multiplefree channels in the vicinity of the user's home. The panel 505 may alsoallow the user to scroll up/down to view a listing of programs that havebeen selected for local broadcast. For example, if the user has chosen‘Oprah’ for the bedroom, and ‘Evening News’ for the family room, theuser can scroll up/down through a list of those two programs.

In response to the selection, and as described above, the gateway 202may then transmit a request for the program to an external server (ifneeded), receive and decode the requested content, format it for thetarget device, and transmit it using the local whitespace channel forreception at the desired target device. If multiple targets are chosen,then the program may be broadcast on multiple channels, allowing eachtarget television 207 a,b to receive its own stream of the program.Viewers at the televisions 207 a,b may use remote controls toindividually issue trickplay commands to pause, rewind, fast-forward,etc. through the content. The viewers can do this with different remotecontrols, and the various remote controls may each transmit, along withthe commands, an identification of the particular television 207 a,bbeing controlled, so that their selections and/or commands may beinterpreted at the gateway to only apply to the content beingtransmitted for the identified television. Alternatively, oradditionally, the remote controls may be initialized to correspond withtelevisions 207 a,b, and identification of the remote may automaticallyidentify the corresponding television as well. The trickplay commandsmay be processed by the gateway 202, which can transmit trickplayversions of the content as desired (for example, by obtaining it from anupstream source as needed).

FIG. 5C illustrates another display screen, in which the user has chosenthe “Dick Tracy” program for local broadcast to the Family Roomtelevision, while the previously-selected “Oprah” program is sent to theBedroom television. In response to those selections, the gateway 202 mayhave transmitter 208 transmit these programs on different localfrequencies, for reception at the identified televisions. For example,the “Oprah” program may be placed on channel 2, while the “Dick Tracy”program can be placed on channel 3.

In the above example, the gateway 202 is informed as to the targetdevice. In alternative embodiments, the gateway 202 may be indifferentas to the specific target device. For example, the user may choose aprogram (e.g., “Oprah”), and may simply choose to have that programlocally broadcast on any or all whitespace channels identified by thegateway 202 or transmitter 208. The gateway 202 can then simplybroadcast the program on the whitespace channels, without receivinginformation identifying the actual device that will be receiving it.

In the above example, the EPG screen 500 is described as being displayedon the target device (e.g., television 207 a). In alternativeembodiments, the EPG 500 can be displayed on any other device that isable to communicate with the gateway 202. For example, the EPG screen500 can be displayed on a computer 204, so that a user could use alaptop to choose which show(s) will be “aired” in his/her home. Thescreen could also be displayed on a wireless remote control in the home,allowing a user to select a program for viewing without requiring eventurning on the television first. In some embodiments, the remote controlcan move from room-to-room, and the gateway can automatically (or, inresponse to a user command indicating the change in room) change itstransmission frequency to allow the user's program to be received on adifferent television in the new room.

In the example above, the target televisions 207 a,b are analogtelevision sets tuned to NTSC channels 2 and 3 respectively to receiveprogramming that was transmitted to the premises in a different formatand/or modulation (e.g., MPEG2 stream via IP). As an alternative, thereceiving devices 207 a,b may be of a different type. For example, thereceiving device may be a mobile television device configured to receiveATSC-M/H (Advanced Television Systems Committee—Mobile/Handheld)signals, and the transmitter (or transceiver) 208 may be configured totransmit such signals. Other mobile formats, such as DVB-H (DigitalVideo Broadcasting—Handheld, ETSI EN 302 304), may also be used. In someembodiments, the mobile device can initially communicate with anotherdevice, such as a gateway or set-top box, to request and receiveauthorization for the display of requested content. Through thisauthorization, the mobile device can be registered with the gateway/STB,and can receive various subscription-based services that are accessibleby the gateway/STB.

FIG. 6 illustrates an example gateway 202, which is an IP transportgateway. The gateway 202 may include a processor 601, which can controlthe operation of the gateway 202 to perform any of the functions andfeatures described herein. Those and other functions and features may beprovided as software instructions (e.g., computer code) stored in acomputer-readable memory 602, which can be any desired type of storageor medium (e.g., hard disk, FLASH drive, RAM, ROM, optical disk, floppydisk, etc.).

The gateway 202 may receive an input 201, and may have a splitter 603 toinitially split the incoming signal to provide, for example, an RFbypass copy of the incoming signal. The splitter 603 may also includefiltering circuitry to provide cleaner signals, such as removingupstream components emanating from the gateway 202 so that thecomponents do not propagate back down into the RF bypass signal.

The gateway 202 may include a modem 604, which, if implemented in an HFCsystem, may be a DOCSIS cable modem. The modem 604 may be configured todemodulate, process and buffer incoming signals from the externalnetwork 101, and to do the reverse for upstream outgoing signals.

The gateway 202 may also include a conversion module 605. The conversionmodule 605 may be a processor configured to reformat audio and/or videocontent. For example, if an incoming video program is in high-definitionformat, but needs to be transmitted as a standard definition analogsignal, the content processor 605 may handle that conversion, to allowtransmitter 208 to transmit HD content (e.g., content at 720p, 1080i,1080p resolutions) formatted for reception on a UHF or VHF channel. Or,if incoming video is in an MPEG-4 format, and a different encodingformat is needed, the conversion module 605 may be configured to convertbetween the encoding formats.

The gateway 202 may also include a whitespace controller 606. Thewhitespace controller 606 may include processing circuitry configured tocontrol the transmitter 208. For example, the controller 606 may performnecessary processing to formulate the NTSC channel 2 signal carryingvideo content from the conversion module 605. The controller 606 mayalso handle the process of locating relatively unused frequencies in thehome's vicinity.

The gateway 202 may also include an interface module 607 for acommunication network of the home. For example, the home may use a MoCAnetwork to distribute data throughout the home using the home's existingcoaxial cable network, according to the MoCA standard. In thatsituation, the interface module 607 may be a MoCA interface module andinclude interface circuitry and/or software to process communicationsusing the MoCA standard.

Although not required, various aspects described herein may be embodiedas a method, a data processing system, or as a computer-readable mediumstoring computer-executable instructions. Accordingly, those aspects maytake the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely softwareembodiment, an entirely firmware embodiment, or an embodiment combiningsoftware, firmware and hardware aspects. The functionality may beresident in a single computing device, or may be distributed acrossmultiple computing devices/platforms, the multiple computingdevices/platforms optionally being connected to one another via one ormore computing networks. In addition, various signals representing dataor events as described herein may be transferred between a source and adestination in the form of electromagnetic waves traveling throughsignal-conducting media such as metal wires, optical fibers, and/orwireless transmission media (e.g., air and/or space).

As described herein, the various methods and acts may be operativeacross one or more computing servers and one or more computing networks.The functionality may be distributed in any manner, or may be located ina single computing device (e.g., a server, a client computer, etc.). Asdiscussed herein, real-time (or substantially real-time) access toprogramming and programming related information may be obtained acrossvarious televisions, computers and the like. Moreover, while describedin the context of television signals being transmitted inunoccupied/unpopulated/free frequency spectrum, the techniques describedherein may be adapted to accommodate the transmission of other types ofsignals without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.

As described herein, the methodological acts and processes may be tiedto particular machines or apparatuses. For example, as described herein,a white space device and a mobile transmitter device may be used invarious embodiments of this disclosure. More generally, one or morecomputers may include one or more processors and memory storinginstructions, that when executed, perform the methodological acts andprocesses described herein. Furthermore, the methodological acts andprocesses described herein may perform a variety of functions includingtransforming an article (e.g., a television signal) into a differentstate or thing (e.g., an NTSC or mobile TV signal).

The various embodiments and examples described above are, as stated,merely examples. Many variations may be implemented to suit a particularimplementation, and the various features may be combined, divided,rearranged, omitted and/or augmented as desired. The scope of thispatent should not be limited by any of the specific examples describedherein.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: determining, by a computingdevice, a plurality of available wireless frequencies; determining afrequency usage comprising determining that a first wireless frequencyof the plurality of available wireless frequencies is used less than asecond wireless frequency of the plurality of available wirelessfrequencies; assigning, based on user input on a handheld device andbased on the frequency usage, a user device to the first wirelessfrequency of the plurality of available wireless frequencies, whereinthe user input on the handheld device indicates a user customized name,and the user customized name corresponds to the first wirelessfrequency; instructing the user device to receive data via the firstwireless frequency; receiving data corresponding to the user device; andtransmitting, to the user device and via the first wireless frequency,the data, wherein the data is configured according to audio capabilitiesof the user device.
 2. The method of claim 1, further comprisingconverting the data to a format corresponding to a screen size and aresolution of the user device.
 3. The method of claim 1, whereindetermining the plurality of available wireless frequencies comprisesscanning each frequency of a predetermined list of wireless frequencies.4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the plurality of availablewireless frequencies comprises: receiving a location; and querying,based on the location, a database for the plurality of availablewireless frequencies.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining theplurality of available wireless frequencies comprises: receiving alocation; querying, based on the location, a database for a list ofavailable wireless frequencies; and scanning each frequency of the listof available wireless frequencies.
 6. The method of claim 1, whereinassigning the user device to the first wireless frequency comprisesreceiving a user confirmation of the first wireless frequency.
 7. Themethod of claim 6, further comprising: displaying a listing of theplurality of available wireless frequencies; and receiving, via thelisting, the user confirmation of the first wireless frequency.
 8. Asystem comprising: a first computing device and a second computingdevice; wherein the first computing device comprises: one or moreprocessors; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by theone or more processors of the first computing device, cause the firstcomputing device to: determine a plurality of available wirelessfrequencies; determine that a first wireless frequency of the pluralityof available wireless frequencies is used less than a second wirelessfrequency of the plurality of available wireless frequencies; assign,based on user input on a handheld device, the second computing device tothe first wireless frequency of the plurality of available wirelessfrequencies, wherein the user input on the handheld device indicates auser customized name that corresponds to the first wireless frequency;instruct the second computing device to receive data via the firstwireless frequency; receive data corresponding to the second computingdevice; and transmit, to the second computing device and via the firstwireless frequency, the data; and wherein the second computing devicecomprises: one or more processors; and memory storing instructions that,when executed by the one or more processors of the second computingdevice, cause the second computing device to receive, via the firstwireless frequency, the data.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein theinstructions in the memory of the first computing device, when executedby the one or more processors of the first computing device, cause thefirst computing device to convert the data to a format corresponding toa screen size and a resolution of the second computing device.
 10. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein the instructions in the memory of the firstcomputing device, when executed by the one or more processors of thefirst computing device, cause the first computing device to: receive alocation; and query, based on the location, a database for the pluralityof available wireless frequencies.
 11. The system of claim 8, whereinthe instructions in the memory of the first computing device, whenexecuted by the one or more processors of the first computing device,cause the first computing device to output an instruction to configurethe second computing device to use the first wireless frequency.
 12. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein the instructions in the memory of the firstcomputing device, when executed by the one or more processors of thefirst computing device, cause the first computing device to: output theplurality of available wireless frequencies; and receive a selection ofthe first wireless frequency.
 13. The system of claim 8, wherein theinstructions in the memory of the first computing device, when executedby the one or more processors of the first computing device, cause thefirst computing device to: receive a location; transmit an indicator ofthe location; and receive, in response to the location, the plurality ofavailable wireless frequencies.
 14. The system of claim 8, wherein theinstructions in the memory of the first computing device, when executedby the one or more processors of the first computing device, cause thefirst computing device to assign a group of devices to a same wirelessfrequency of the plurality of available wireless frequencies.
 15. Anapparatus comprising: one or more processors, and memory storingmachine-readable instructions, that, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, cause the apparatus to: determine a location of theapparatus; determine, based on the location, a plurality of availablewireless frequencies; determine a frequency usage comprising determiningthat a first wireless frequency of the plurality of available wirelessfrequencies is used less than a second wireless frequency of theplurality of available wireless frequencies; allocate, based on userinput on a handheld device and the frequency usage, the first wirelessfrequency of the plurality of available wireless frequencies to one ormore user devices, wherein the user input on the handheld deviceindicates a user customized name comprising letters, and the usercustomized name corresponds to the first wireless frequency; cause theone or more user devices to receive data via the first wirelessfrequency; receive data corresponding to the one or more user devices;and transmit, to the one or more user devices and via the first wirelessfrequency, the data.
 16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein theinstructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause theapparatus to retrieve, from a database, the plurality of availablewireless frequencies.
 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein theinstructions, when executed by the one or more processors, cause theapparatus to: transmit an indicator of the location; and receive, inresponse to the location, the plurality of available wirelessfrequencies.
 18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions,when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus toconvert the data to a format corresponding to a screen size and aresolution of the one or more user devices.
 19. The apparatus of claim15, wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or moreprocessors, cause the apparatus to receive input indicating thelocation.
 20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the instructions, whenexecuted by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to scan awireless frequency range to determine the plurality of availablewireless frequencies.